WhatsApp is introducing a new privacy feature that will allow users to connect with new people without revealing their phone numbers. The Meta-owned messaging platform is rolling out ‘usernames’, — a feature that will protect users’ personal information, particularly in group chats and first-time conversations. The platform, with more than three billion users worldwide, announced that it has opened global reservations for usernames ahead of the feature’s rollout later this year. The update marks one of WhatsApp’s biggest privacy changes in recent years, shifting from reliance on phone numbers as the primary way users identify and contact each other. “When…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
The first herds of wildebeest have arrived at the Maasai Mara National Reserve after crossing from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, signalling the start of the annual Great Migration that attracts visitors from around the world. The movement of the animals began this week when thousands of wildebeest crossed the Sand River into the Mara. The migration is expected to continue over the coming weeks, bringing large numbers of tourists, photographers and safari enthusiasts to Narok County. Tour guide Alex Ole Nkumum said the migration was already gaining momentum and that more animals were expected to arrive soon. “We many more…
The Kenya Revenue Authority has officially declined to extend the timelines for the filing of income tax returns for the year of income 2025, despite complaints from some taxpayers claiming that they were not able to log into the online filing platform, iTax. “No extension of the filing deadline will be granted. Taxpayers who fail to file their 2025 Income Tax Returns by the due date will be liable to the applicable penalties and may be subject to default assessment in accordance with the law,” read the public notice. In a public notice, KRA encouraged Kenyans to file their yearly…
Technopolis Development Authority (formerly Konza Technopolis Development Authority) graduated 2,700 youth participants in a five-day hybrid learning program dubbed The Jitume Digital Media Tools Sensitization workshop. The program equipped and exposed youth to emerging technologies, industry practices and career opportunities within Kenya’s rapidly expanding digital and creative economy. The programme attracted sign ups drawn from across the country and introduced the youth to modern creative professions including photography, videography, graphic design, video editing and social media management. Through structured engagement with practitioners and digital tools, participants gained practical understanding of professional workflows, Artificial Intelligence-enabled solutions, entrepreneurship pathways and opportunities available…
Digital lender Tala is set to lay off 10 percent of its Kenyan workforce as part of a global restructuring aimed at streamlining its operations. The digital lender joins a growing number of technology firms reforming their workforce structures as they expand the use of artificial intelligence. In a statement issued on Thursday, June 25, the company said the changes would involve streamlining functions and centralizing operations, reducing its global workforce. “As part of the evolution of Tala’s global operating model, we are streamlining our functions and centralizing operations to align with our strategic roadmap,” the company said in a…
Global leaders have called for a safer digital environment for children and young people, urging technology companies to strengthen protections against harmful and age-inappropriate online content. In a statement issued during the G7 summit on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, the leaders said they were committed to ensuring that digital spaces are safer for minors, defined as individuals under the age of 18. They raised concerns about the risks associated with digital platforms, including exposure to illegal or harmful content that could negatively affect the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The leaders recommended that recommendation systems be designed…
Family Bank Limited’s shares began trading on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) on Tuesday, bringing to a close a long-running listing process through listing by introduction. The lender’s formal admission to the Main Investment Market Segment of the NSE has ended the regulatory journey that began in July last year. The bank has listed 1,662,654,760 issued and fully paid-up ordinary shares with a par value of Sh1.00 each, at an introduction price of Sh18.00 per share. Family Bank raised no fresh capital through today’s debut, as listing by introduction does not involve issuing new shares. The move, however, gives existing…
TotalEnergies Kenya now powers more than half of its fuel stations using solar energy. The company’s disclosures show that 154 of its stations across Kenya were powered by solar systems as of December 2025, while it had 285 stations as of May 2026, accounting for 54 percent of its outlets. The French-owned company has rolled out this solar installation strategy to lower electricity bills, ensure a steady supply during outages, and reduce carbon emissions. “As at the end of December 2025, 154 service stations across the country were powered by solar energy,” TotalEnergies said in its end-of-year report for 2025.…
The United States should immediately stop politicizing, instrumentalizing and weaponizing trade and technological issues, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday. Lin made the remarks after the US reportedly held off on adding Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, memory chipmaker CXMT and more than 100 other companies flagged as national security risks to a trade blacklist, a move seen as an effort to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing. Beijing has always opposed Washington’s over-stretching of the concept of national security and its abuse of export control tools, such as the entity list, to maliciously suppress Chinese enterprises, Lin told a…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has overtaken Amazon to become the world’s fifth most valuable company after a surge in its share price. Days after joining New York’s tech-focused Nasdaq stock exchange in the biggest public listing ever, its share price has risen by more than 50%. It leaves Musk’s rocket company worth about $2.78tn (£2.1tn), while Jeff Bezos’s sprawling online retail and media empire is currently worth about $2.66tn. The boom in SpaceX’s value came as it announced it was buying AI coding start-up Cursor for $60bn. SpaceX said it would take over Anysphere, Cursor’s parent company, which makes the artificial…
